Inlet-valve for water-closet tanks



W. U. GRIFFITHS.

INLET VALVE FOR WATER CLOSET TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.1,1918.

1,347,507. Patented July 27, 1920,

llllllllll ll! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INLET-VALVE FOR wArnaoLosn'r TANKS.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1918. Serial No. 214,814.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIABLU. GRIF- rirrrs, a citizen'of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlnlet-Valves for Water- Closet Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

The general object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the construction of valve and valve mechanism for controlling the flow of water into the flush tank of a water closet apparatus.

In the employment of valves as now constructed for controlling the inlet for supplying water to a flush tank it frequently happens that as the tank is being filled, usually near the end of the filling operation, a whistling, noisome sound is produced by the inflow of the water through the valve, and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a construction whereby such a whistling and noisome sound maybe eliminated and avoided.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction by means of which the valve is caused to move slowly into closed position duringthe greater part of the time that the water is flowing into the tank to fill the same but which will cause a sudden, quick closing movement thereof at the end of the filling operation.

In the accompanying drawing 1 have illustrated a construction embodying any invention in a form at the present preferred by me, but it will be understood that my invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms of construction than that shown, and that changes in the details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the scope of my invention as disclosed herein and as particularly defined and pointed out in the claim.

. In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a flush tank for water closet apparatus provided withmechanism embodying my invention which is shown in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the valve operating lever;

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation of the valve and its guiding stem, including the means for cooperating with an end portion view taken on the of the lever shown in Fig. 3 whereby the said valve may be opened and closed; and

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the casing surrounding the valve structure and also showing one of the brackets projecting upwardly therefrom.

Referring to the drawing, a flush tank having an outlet port adapted to be opened and closed by a valve 3, operated in any known manner.

4 designates a supply pipe leading from a water system, said pipe communicating with the interior of the tank 1 as is clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. In the construction shown the pipe 4 extends through an opening 5 in the bottom wall of the tank 1 and is provided with a flange 6 adjacent its upper end which rests upon the said bottom.

7 designates a nut which has screw threaded engagement with the portion of the pipe 4 immediately below the bottom of the tank 1 and is adapted to be screwed up against the under side of the said bottom to clamp the edge portions thereof surrounding the opening 5 against the flange 6.

The upper or inner end of the pipe 4 is provided with a reduced end or nozzle 10 for the passage of water from the pipe 4. The upper or inner end of the said reduced end or nozzle portion constitutes a valve seat against which a valve comprising the washer 13 and the part 14 is seated. The washer 13 preferablv consists of relatively soft material, such as hard rubber, leather or other suitable material. It should be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to a construction comprising a washer of any particular kind or character of material. The portion of the valve which I have designated 14 is provided with a skirt portion 16 which extends over the reduced end or nozzle portion 10, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. It will be noted that the internal diameter of the skirt 16 is somewhat greater than the external diameter of the reduced end or nozzle portion 10. The valve is provided with what may be termed a guiding stem portion 15 having a plurality of flanges 16 thereon which are supported in and guided by a reduced upper or inner end portion 17 extended inwardly from an enlarged casing portion 18 within which the valve structure comprising the parts 10, 13, 14, and 15 are situated. The casing 18 is provided at its 1 designates Patented July 27, 1920.

lower endwith a reduced annular portion 7 19 having screw-threaded engagement with the inner end of the pipe 4.

The said casing is provided with an open ing 20 through which the water may flow into the tank 1.

The upper end of the valve guiding stem 15 is provided with a relatively wide flangelike top portion to which is securedtheproj ecting, spaced parallel bars connected at their inner ends by a cross piece 26 asshown, said cross" piece being slightly widened by providing a projecting portion thereon as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing. i

In order to operate the valve, including or comprising the parts 13 and 14 together with the parts havingconnection therewith, Ihave provided a lever 29 having a widened end portion 30 which is situated in the space between the bars 25. The projecting portion 31 operates to depress the valve stem and valve to close the latter while the.

- projecting portion 32 operates to raise the "projecting portions 83 through which opening 34 extends. The said lever is supsame, and move it into open position to permit an inflow of water into the tank.

The sa d lever is PlOVlClQCl' with oppos tely ported. upon a pivot 35 extending'through the sa d opening and throughopenings 36 in the inner or'upper ends of brackets 37 V projecting inwardly or upwardly from the mit the insertion or withdrawal of the pivot tothat in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the end of the bill of said hook will pass over the inner edge of the bracket 37 to per- 35 from the openings 36 and from the opening 34 through the lever aforesaid. It will be understood that while it is preferred that the hook 40 shall normally engage the under swelled side at 41 of'one or theother of the brackets 37, it may be turned in the opposite direction so as to engage the opposite edge of such bracket.

'45 designates a float-having an arm or stem 46; the'end of which extends through an opening 47 in the end of the lever 29 and-is secured in such opening by means of a binding screw 48. The movements up and down of the said float 45 by the rising and the falling of the water in the tank 1 operates through the said lever 29 to actuate the inlet valve to close and open the same. IVhen the float 45 is in the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 1 of the drawing the said lever is held in position with the projecting end'oortion 32 in contact with the .under side of the part 26 and is holding the 7 said part and the valve having connection therewith in open position. In the construction shown the inward opening movement of the inlet valve is limited by the contact of the inner end of the valvestein 15 with the projection 49. In such position the PIOJQCi ingcornerportion 31 is spaced from and is out of contact with the imlvei end of the valve guiding stem 15; but, as the water flows into the tankl and rises therein the float 45 is raised as indicated by the dash V and dot'line position thereof so as to cause the projecting end portion-31 to contact with the "inner end of the valve guiding stem 15. After the projection 31 has onqemoved into contact with the inner endof thje'valve guide ing stem 15 further upward movement of the float 45 cause further closing movement of the valve so'as to close the same; that 1s,

the washer 13 is moved into contact with the end of th nozzle portion 10 to closethe pen ng f r In operation I have found that a construcion m dys t eatur s of m nv n ion a llustrat d [i t e .cl aWing prevents the Whistling so nd s -frequen ly h d during e llin p 'atien Q ush t sk f r er closet apparatus; particularly during the latt r n rt n r peri d t e filling per tion. 1

I believethat the elimination of this Wh in ,'I, Qi Q s un i u to t pr ence of the skirt 16 and the particular relation of the interior surfaee thereof to the xt rna rfa e of he reduced ozz e e portion 10. It will beobserved that when the inlet valve is in open position the area of the surfa e there against wh c the Water presses is relatively greansuch area being equal to the internal transverse area of the skirt portion 16 of the valve structure. When, however, the valve is in closed position the area thereof against which the water presses isjequal only'to that of the transverse area of the opening 12.

As the water rises'in the tank 1 to lift the float 45 to effect a closingmovement of the valve the pressure of the water exerted against the entire-end surface of the said valve causes a relatively. great portion of the float to be submerged. However, as the water rises in the tank the float also rises causing a slow ,closing movement of the valve toward its seat until the valve is almost closed and until it reaches a point with relation to its seat when the pressure of the water from the pipe 4 exerted against the under side of thevalve is reduced to such.

Water in the tank against the float 45 exceeds the reduced pressure against the under side of the valve so that the said float moves quickly and suddenly into position to firmly and completely close the said valve. The position through Which the valve is suddenly and quickly moved is that through which it moves when the objectionable Whistling sounds previously referred to take place.

I claim:

In combination, a lever for operating a flush tank valve said lever being adapted to be operated by the rising and falling movements of a liquid in a container, a 15 valve casing having brackets provided with openings therethrough, and a pivot extending through said openings and through an opening in said lever said pivothaving a hook member secured to one end thereof 20 which member is adapted to engage an edge of one or the other of said brackets substantially described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed 25 my name this 29th day of January, A. D.

WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS. 

